Archives|FROM SAN FRANCISCO.; The Opposition Lines Living in San Francisco The Telegraph Hotels Miscellaneous. NO WAR NEWS. SAN FRANCISCO IS LAUGHING THE TIMES DEFALCATION OF AN UNITED STATES OFFICER. MISCELLANEOUS.

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FROM SAN FRANCISCO.; The Opposition Lines Living in San Francisco The Telegraph Hotels Miscellaneous. NO WAR NEWS. SAN FRANCISCO IS LAUGHING THE TIMES DEFALCATION OF AN UNITED STATES OFFICER. MISCELLANEOUS.

I take advantage of the sailing of two steamships, this morning, to send you a letter. It will go only in one of them. A great number of persons go in each of them -- more, I think, than ever left San Francisco on any one day before. "Their name is ...

legion." and they take their wives and babies along. So I judge from what the papers say. And thus they go, because, in a great measure, of the unprecedented low rates of passage, made so by opposition. These are the prices of passage: In the Pacific Mail, or regular line -- outside cabin, $150; inside cabin, $110; second cabin, $60; steerage, $35. Opposition -- first cabin, $90; second cabin, $50; steerage, $30. These are specie prices, mind you. Our currency is hard. Greenbacks are only dealt in as are stocks, and fluctuate, as does the news from the East. They now rule at fifty cents on the (gold) dollar. Their standard is never stationary, and much money is made and won by speculating in them. Here we have a State law making greenbacks payable for every debt, unless a specific contract be otherwise made. When no such specific contract is made, but only implied, a chance is offered to cheat; and that it is often taken advantage of, may be seen by newspaper advertisements, daily appearing, such as this:

"CAUTION. -- JOHN SMITH this day paid to me $50 in greenbacks for house-rent. Look out for him!

SAMUEL BROWN."

And so greenbacks are only to be seen in brokers' windows and in the hands of some greenies just from New-York. Until lately they were receivable at par for fines in the Police Court; but a recent decision stops this half-pay price for misdemeanors. Necessarily they hold good in payment of the special taxes imposed for the extraordinary expenses of the National Government. But we are all (for nearly all are loyal) watching and praying for the speedy coming of the time when legal-tender notes will be worth their face in act, as they ought to be in fact, and as they would be were it not for those _____! _____!! _____!!! who deal in the sinews of the war for the country's life, as they would in sweet potatoes or Erie. [Show this to your Commercial Editor and give him my address. I'm responsible.]

And, talking of greenbacks, if I knew as much just now about war matters at the East as does any body in New-York that reads the papers, I would make a fortune before bedtime. Why? Because we have not heard a word from the East for nearly two weeks, on account of Indian difficulties on the plains, east of Salt Lake, and between Mud springs and Galesburgh. The Indiana hitherto have refrained from interfering with the telegraph, because of a superstition supposed to obtain among them; but now it appears they have got entirely over this, for last accounts say they have destroyed the wires in divers places and cut down the poles by the hundred. Soldiers are on the red-skins' path, have crossed it, and walloped them, but as yet the severed communication is not adjusted. It will be in a day or two, we are told; meanwhile we are all starving to hear from GRANT, and SHERMAN, and THOMAS. The very latest word to which the telegraph gave utterance was that rebel Peace Commissioners had arrived at Washington. Now if I had anything special from the East since then I could make a fortune before bedtime, for the price of greenbacks is regulated by the dispatches from the Atlantic? Do you see it?

loudly at the ludicrous miscarriage of a projected affair of which it was designed that your General, DAN SICKLES, should be the hero. Somebody sent a dispatch from New-York to the "Associated Press" that SICKLES and his staff had sailed for California. Parties here determined to do themselves great honor by giving the "hero of Gettysburgh" a public ovation. To this end public meetings were held, committees of arrangement appointed, and moneys raised. When the ship upon which Gen. SICKLES was supposed to be on board was telegraphed, salutes were fired and the respective committees of reception repaired to the wharf with a chariot for the General's reception and conduct to the Occidental, where rooms had been engaged for him and suite. A whole military company and many police could hardly restrain the eager crowd. After an unusual delay, the ship touched the dock, when to the consternation of the "committees," the General was found not to be on board! He had not intended coming to California at all; had left at Panama for Bogota! The committees soon dissolved with downcast eyes, and no one can now be found bold enough to acknowledge that he had any hand in the SICKLES' reception. Gen. SICKLES is lucky in having escaped the intended honors.

were never so dull. The streets are thronged with idle men. Many are absolutely destitute: personal appeals for aid through the columns of the daily press are frequent. The rates of wages are lower than in New-York. Printers, for instance, are so numerous that not a half of them can earn a subsistence, and the "Union" is raising a fund to send the unemployed out of the city on condition that they will not return within a given period. One office, the Flag, lately revolted against the Typographical Society's prices, 75 cents per thousand ems, and finds no difficulty in obtaining "rats" at 50 cents per thousand ems. Other trades are nearly as badly circumstanced. And this at a time when beef sells at 37 1/2 cents a pound in specie. This is the golden State of California, too, mind you! Come to California, won't you!

Nevertheless, San Francisco, which is California, is growing in beauty and extent. We have hotels, which in size and magnificence, vie with any of yours, big and old as you are. The "Cosmopolitan," a new and magnificent structure of more than 200 rooms capacity, is being increased one-third larger. When I was in New-York, now five years since, there was no hotel there which in interior fitting up exceeded the Cosmopolitan. The other public establishments are all crowded. I mention this to show you how big a city is ours.

You may have heard (by telegraph) how Mr. POTCH, Collector of United States Revenue for this district, defaulted to the Government in the sum of some $25,000. His bondsmen have made good the amoun. POTCH is an old resident, and has held local offices of responsibility. He is in town. The papers have had much to say about the matter, but none of them appear to know what further steps are to be taken in the premises.

The monitor Camanche went up and down the harbor day before yesterday on a trial trip, which proved highly satisfactory in every respect. Seven miles an hour, with a favoring tide, seems to be her maximum speed. Her 15-inch guns work to a charm. The presence of the mud-turtle gives us great assurance.

The double-ender Watence remains at anchor off the city's front, doing "garrison" duty. A consort is looked for soon.

WALTER S. DENIO, melter and essayer at the mint, was buried yesterday from Masonic Hall. He died on Saturday morning of congestion of the brain, aged 36. He was a brother of Judge DENIO, of New-York, and had the office in the mint since President LINCOLN's inauguration. He was greatly respected, his probity being beyond question.

Recruiting for our volunteer regiments, old and new, is brisk. But our young men want active service. For "duty at the front" we could raise a brigade in less than a week, including a full regiment of veterans.

The weather is delightful. How does snow look? Is ice still slippery?

We, too, are troubled with petroleum, of which we undoubtedly have "some," if not more.

Look out sharp for bogus gold and silver mining claims. Judging from what we read, we are inclined to think that your smart New-York sharps are being badly sold. Washoe is wonderfully rich, but not all of its rocks are argentiferous. CAPSICUM.

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A version of this archives appears in print on March 16, 1865, on Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: FROM SAN FRANCISCO.; The Opposition Lines Living in San Francisco The Telegraph Hotels Miscellaneous. NO WAR NEWS. SAN FRANCISCO IS LAUGHING THE TIMES DEFALCATION OF AN UNITED STATES OFFICER. MISCELLANEOUS. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe